Angolan President at Expo 2020 to celebrate National Day; Lines up cultural festivities

• President to meet H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Art expo, National Day parade, music show and cultural folklore performance at Angolan pavilion

Dubai, December 22 2021: Angola will celebrate National Day at its pavilion at the Mobility district of Expo 2020 Dubai in the presence of the Republic’s visiting President, João Lourenço, and various other dignitaries.

Angola has also lined up an array of traditional and contemporary cultural festivities to visitors of the Expo showcasing a slice of the Southern African country’s cultural and artistic experience to the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic global audience at the Expo.

“The robust bilateral relationship with the UAE and Angola will get a further boost with the visit of the President who is expected to sign a host of MoUs in the economic sectors of transport and energy, among others. On top of this, the National Day celebrations present an opportunity to present Angolan culture and art to a global audience at the Expo,” said Albina Assis Africano, Commissioner-General for Angola at Expo 2020 Dubai.

During his visit, the President is also expected to meet H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minster of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

“Our participation at the Expo 2020 as a young country will help us project the opportunities the country offers to global investors, while also providing us an opportunity to present how we uniquely blend tradition with modernity in our developmental agenda. In fact, the theme of our pavilion reflects this,” said Mrs Africano.

The theme of Angolan pavilion – `Connecting with Tradition to Innovate’ – and the country’s slogan – `From Tradition to Innovation,’- also connects with the theme of the Expo – `Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

As part of the National Day celebrations, the Angolan pavilion is hosting an exhibition by Angolan plastic artists, who will showcase their creations between December 22 and January 3, 2022. A National Day parade will also be held at the Expo premises from DEC to Al Wasl Plaza. A cultural folklore performance and a music show will also be part of the festivities.

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About Angola Pavilion:

At the Angola Pavilion, visitors are shown how Angola’s history and their technological innovations are intimately linked. The Pavilion focuses on the Angolan Chowke people and their relationship with the people of Angola today by using symbols like a large parrot called Toje, that symbolises freedom of thought. That is one of the symbols that the Pavilion is using to reintroduce the dying art of storytelling.

The education cluster at the Angola Pavilion is presenting modern opportunities for people of Angola. They are displaying Angola’s program to educate students who are interested in the aerospace industry as a part of their program  to promote space research. It includes the opportunity to attend a technology space institute for free.

Culture is a key part of the Angola Pavilion at this edition of the Expo. They are having nightly performances throughout the duration of the Expo where musicians from all over Angola will play modern and ancient music. They are also hosting regular performances on traditional and contemporary dance forms and visitors can attend workshops to learn about ancient instruments and how they were handmade.